COMMERCIAL.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3376, 17 November 1911, Page 2

COMMERCIAL.

MATAWHERO STOCK SALES. A MUCH IMPROVED MARKET. The fortnightly stock sal© held at the Matawhero yards yesterday was very well attended, and good prices ruled in most of the departments. The tenor of the market on the whole was much more satisfactory than that obtaining at the sale hold "on October 2nd. The Yarding. A numerical decline is evident in the following table, but the apparent effect of this was to stimulate bidding. What was lost in numbers was, m most classes, quite balanced by the excellence of the lines offering. The relative figures of the previous sale, together with those of yesterday, are given in the following table:—

Fat Sheep. . Butchers are evidently in greater need of mutton sheep than they were at the time of the last sale, for almost every line offered was cleared at satisfactory prices. Ewes dominated the yarding, and the prices realised were as follows: —61 ewes 11s 6d, 35 ewes (shorn) 11s, 23 ewes 14s 3d, 80 ewes 14s 6d, 100 ewes (shorn) 10s, to the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Co.; 71 ewes 14s 6d, 6 ewes 10s, 15 wethers 13s 6d, and 4. wethers 17s 3d } to Mr. Fenwick. Lines were passed in at the following prices:—l3 ewes (shorn) 9s, 28 ewes 11s, 55 ewes 15s 6d, 14 wethers 11s, 66 ewes 13s 6d. The first pen of lambs offered this season only reached 9s 6d at auction, but were afterwards disposed of privately at 11s to Mr. Fenwick. Mr. F. Hall, of The Willows, was the vendor. Store Sheep. The sale of store sheep opened somewhat dully, the whole of the first six pens offered being passed in. These were mostly ewes with lambs at foot, and included two pens of shorn ewes with lambs. The class failed to attain high prices throughout the day, and the only sales of importance which took place were as follows: —22 ewes (shorn) with 22 lambs 10s, 348 ewes with 367 lambs offered on account of Mr. Bell at 11s 6d to Mr. Carlvon, 223 ewes with 223 lambs at 10s to Mr. Machell. Both latter sales were considered enviable bargains by farmers about the ~ens. Of the lines that passed under the hammer but failed to reach the reserve, the following may be quoted:—2l ewes with 21 lambs at 12s 6d, 182 ewes with 151 lambs at 16s, and 87 ewes with 81 lambs at 12s 9d. Hoggets were yarded in fair numbers and the following sales took place:—73 at 9s 7d, 34 at 12s 2d to Mr. Johnston, 96 at 10s 6d to' Mr. Judd, 160 ewe hoggets (shorn) at 8s Id to Mr. Hunt, and 144 wether hoggets at 8s 9d to Mr. Thomas. Among those passed in were 132 mixed hoggets, which were withdrawn at 12s 6d, and 234 passed in at 11s. A few small lots of two-tooths were offered, and sales took place as follows: —174 mixed two-tooth (shorn) 9s Bd, 42 two-tooth ewes (woolly) 13s 6d, and 90 two-tooth ewes (shorn) 8s Id. Shorn sheep are now being brought forward in moderate numbers, and the yarding yesterday included several pens of shorn empty ewes. Of these the following lines found buyers:—6o at 7s, 160 at 6s 9d, 75 two and four-tooths at 10s, 70 at 7s 2d, and 67 at 8s 6d. The sales were fewer among the wool class of empty ewes, and the prices for the most noteworthy sales were as appended :—BB at 10s, 85 at 8s ed. lanes passed in as follows: —89 at 6s 6d, and 44. at 11s. The sales of wethers included 85 at i 12s 9d, 255 four-tooths at 14s to Mr. G. 1 E. Jones, and 176 at 11s 2d to Mr. Hunt. Fat Cattle. , Some very fine looking beasts were yarded, and the market was, speaking generally, a great deal more satisfactory than it has been for some time. The vardings in this department have of late been on the small side, and butchers yesterday evinced an eagerness to secure good lines. The market was topped by a pen of heavy sleeklooking polled Angus steers offered on behalf of Mr E. R. Murphy, which : reached £8 12s 6d, and at that figure were knocked down to Messrs. Robinson and McMinn. Two bullocks put up on account of Mr. J. Benson were sold at £8 7s 6d to Mr Newton, and another line of six bullocks found a buyer at £7 | 15s in the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Frozen Meat Go. The Motu Meat Co. were also operating, and their purchases included 2 heavy cows at £8 2s 6d, 2 fat ■cows at £6 ss, and 8 bullocks at £7 12s 6d. The remaining sales of importance were as follows 9 cows on account of Mr. E. Murphy at £6 10s to the Gisborne Sheepfarmers’ Company; 7 cows at £7 to Mr. A. T. Smith, 6 bullocks at £7 ss, 1 steer at £6 2s 6d, 1 cow at £5, and 3 cows at £4 7s 6d, Store Cattle. This department of the market presented a more cheerful aspect than at i

the last sale, and lines changed. hands freely at very fair ’ average prices. There appears to be an unappeasable demand for good hardy softs suitable for broken country and dairy cows are in like demand." .' The sales included the following:—23 covvs in. calf £4 ss, 3 cows £6, 17 mixed weaners £2 10s, 10 heifers £3, 39 steers £4 ss, 5 dairy cows offered on aooount of Mr; W. Graham £5 10s to Mr. Sinclair, 1 dairy cow .£4 15s to the same buyer, 2 heifers. £7 10s to Mr. Hill, 4 heifers £6 to the same buyer, 20 cows £3 13s to. Mr. Mossman, 13 steers £4 15s to Mr. Boyd, 9 heifers £3 11s to Mr. Brosnalian, 6 heifers £3 Is, 5 bullocks £6 12s 1 6d to Mr. Randall Slierratt, mid 4 bullocks £4 10s to Mr. Ensor. Pure-bred Bulls. A feature of the sale was the offering by the various firms of a number of bulls, both pure-bred and otherwise. One polled Angus yearling bull,. which was submitted to auction on. behalf of Mr. Cameron, reached 16 guineas, but was passed in. Greater interest, however, centred on the sale of pure-bred Hereford stock from Mr. R. Scott’s property. The stud bull, Poukawa Baron, by Field Marshal—Baroness, bred by Mr Hugh' Campbell., was included. The initial bid was 35 guineas, and within a few seconds 40 guineas were; offering. The price did not, however, advance further, and the bull was withdrawn from auction. Six pure-bred heifers, on account of the same, gentleman, were offered, they having come from some of the well-known Matamata cows. These were passed in at seven guineas. The pick of a line of pure-bred shorthorn bulls was offered, but the highest price obtainable was £B, at which bid the pick was withdrawn. Another Shorthorn bull was responsible for bidding up to 10 guineas, but it also was withdrawn. Two two-year-old Shorthorn bulls started at 15 guineas, but failed to advance beyond that figure, and were passed in. Pigs. The yarding of pigs was fairly large, and lots changed hands as follows: 1 pig at 21s, 1 at 19s, 3 at 14s, 2 at 14s, 3at 14s, and 2at 12s. Pens were passed in as follow: 7 at- 9s 6d and 23 at Bs. CHRISTCHURCH WOOL SALE. PRICES LOWER. (Per Press Association.) CHRISTCHURCH, Nov. 16. Only 3402 bales w~re catalogued for tho first sales of the series, compared with 8520 for the corresponding sale of last year. There was a, full bench of buyers and a brisk sale, Dominion mills taking a fair percentage. Crossbreds and three-quarter breds were Id to lid lower than last year, and halflid to Id lower. There was little merino wool offering. Prices were: Merino, medium to good, 8d to 9fd; half-bred, super 9fd to lid, medium 8d to 9d, inferior to 7 id; threequarterbrecl, medium Bid to 91 d, inferior 6id t-o 8d; crossbred, medium 8d to 9id, inferior 6fd to 7£d ; long wool, medium 6id to 73d; Corriedale. medium B|d to 10id ; Down, medium 8d to 9d; pieces, crossbreds to 7d, halts to 9d. bellies to 7d, locks 3d to 4|d. The wool is said to be in better condition- thlan last year.

Fat cattle ..... Oct. 4. Yesterday '35 100 Store cattle .... 750 1000 Fat sheep 350 700 Store sheep ... 7500 5000 Pigs 70 • ... 45 Total 8705 6545